Coaching is the support for technical, skills-related learning and growth which is provided by another person who uses observation, data collection and descriptive, nonjudgmental reporting on specific requested behaviors and techniques. Coaches must use open-ended questions to help the other person more objectively see their own patterns of behavior and to prompt reflection, goal-setting, planning and action to increase the desired results. Although not always the case, often the coaching is focused on learning job-related skills and the coaching is provided by a professional colleague.
Mentoring is the all-inclusive description of everything done to support protege orientation and professional development. Coaching is one of the sets of strategies which mentors must learn and effectively use to increase their proteges' skills and success. In other words, we need both mentoring and coaching to maximize learning and development.
Essentially then, coaching is technical support focused on development of the techniques effective employees must know and be able to do, while mentoring is the larger context and developmentally appropriate process for learning of technique and all of the other professional and personal skills and understandings needed for success
The following table shows the differences between Coaching and Mentoring. Why is this SO IMPORTANT? Mentoring can have different outcomes than a coaching experience and the focus on the mentor relationship is based more around career development whereas the coaching relationship is based around the development of skills and understanding of practice.
The Department of Education Victoria developed a document titled, 'The Seven Principles of Highly Effective Learning (See Below) Coaching is listed as an effective model of professional learning along with 12 other learning models that schools can use.
There are many similarities between Coaching and Mentoring and I think this is why the two models are confused a lot of the time. This picture below clearly shows how the two models of professional learning overlap but ALSO how they are divided into two separate models of professional support and learning for teachers.
Coaching is the support for technical, skills-related learning and growth which is provided by another person who uses observation, data collection and descriptive, nonjudgmental reporting on specific requested behaviors and techniques. Coaches must use open-ended questions to help the other person more objectively see their own patterns of behavior and to prompt reflection, goal-setting, planning and action to increase the desired results. Although not always the case, often the coaching is focused on learning job-related skills and the coaching is provided by a professional colleague.
Mentoring is the all-inclusive description of everything done to support protege orientation and professional development. Coaching is one of the sets of strategies which mentors must learn and effectively use to increase their proteges' skills and success. In other words, we need both mentoring and coaching to maximize learning and development.
Essentially then, coaching is technical support focused on development of the techniques effective employees must know and be able to do, while mentoring is the larger context and developmentally appropriate process for learning of technique and all of the other professional and personal skills and understandings needed for success
The following table shows the differences between Coaching and Mentoring. Why is this SO IMPORTANT? Mentoring can have different outcomes than a coaching experience and the focus on the mentor relationship is based more around career development whereas the coaching relationship is based around the development of skills and understanding of practice.
The Department of Education Victoria developed a document titled, 'The Seven Principles of Highly Effective Learning (See Below) Coaching is listed as an effective model of professional learning along with 12 other learning models that schools can use.
There are many similarities between Coaching and Mentoring and I think this is why the two models are confused a lot of the time. This picture below clearly shows how the two models of professional learning overlap but ALSO how they are divided into two separate models of professional support and learning for teachers.